20 soaring images from the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 awards

Henley Spiers won the top prize at the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year awards for capturing a northern gannet dramatically breaking the surface of the ocean at high speeds.

The 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition awarded prizes in multiple categories, including Best Portrait, Bird Behavior, Birds in Flight, and Conservation, raising over £5,000 for bird conservation projects.

The competition also featured youth categories, with winners including Paula Czaeczine capturing a Red-Necked Phalarope in Norway and Alberto Roman Gomez photographing a Great Cormorant in London.

A northern gannet dramatically breaks the surface of the ocean , propelling through the water like a torpedo at speeds of up to 86km/h 53mph). Photographer Henley Spiers captured the moment in a stunning image (seen below) and earned the top prize at the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year awards.

"The handsome northern gannets lead a dualistic existence," Spiers said in a press release. "In the nest, their newborn is carefully nurtured, and a couple's bond is reinforced by pointing sharp beaks to the sky as they tenderly stroke their white necks together. In flight, hunting mode takes over, and piercing yellow eyes, fringed with blue circles, scour the sea for prey".

Henley Spiers / Bird Photographer of the Year

The 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year awarded prizes multiple categories, including Best Portrait, Bird Behavior, Birds in Flight, and Conservation. This year's competition also raised more than £5,000 ($6,600 USD) to Birds on the Brink , a charity that provides funding to grassroots bird conservation projects around the globe.

"In a world where AI -generated imagery is becoming increasingly common, this year's winners are a powerful reminder of the value of authenticity," Will Nicholls, Director of Bird Photographer of the Year, said. "Every image in the competition represents a real moment in the wild, earned through patience, dedication and a genuine connection with nature. People will always value real stories told by real people, and this year's extraordinary photographs celebrate the beauty, wonder and authenticity of our natural world."

Parham Pourahmad / Bird Photographer of the Year

Thomas Deliberto / Bird Photographer of the Year

Volker Widmann / Bird Photographer of the Year

David Stowe / Bird Photographer of the Year

Donald Chin / Bird Photographer of the Year

Mark Carwardine / Bird Photographer of the Year

Bernhard Schubert / Bird Photographer of the Year

Ivan Sjögren / Bird Photographer of the Year

Alex Pansier / Bird Photographer of the Year

Patryk Kurc / Bird Photographer of the Year

Åsmund Keilen / Bird Photographer of the Year

Romain Barats / Bird Photographer of the Year

Rahul Sachdev / Bird Photographer of the Year

Raoul Slater / Bird Photographer of the Year

Gianluca Damiani / Bird Photographer of the Year

Kent Stuart / Bird Photographer of the Year

Paula Czaeczine / Bird Photographer of the Year

Alberto Román Gómez / Bird Photographer of the Year

View the full gallery at Bird Photographer of the Year .